The water will be very cold, I don’t think I can spare so
much time, I might get a bad tan, anyway how much can I learn in few months and
worse thing, I might just drown! Uh-oh! Life is complicated; this is not going
to happen with me! My body and mind just start giving me all the wrong and
improper reasons for not learning the things which I consider essential,
swimming-in this case.
And this is the nth time I am postponing the thought of
learning how to drive, irrespective of the fact that I learnt and drove a few
times and left it long back. But I still feel the need for it! This is how most
of us feel in different situations. While the problems look miniscule,
overcoming them can become a Herculean task.
The most basic skills
of life, which I have figured out over the years, that one ought to learn are –
basic cooking, basic self-defense, basic driving, basic swimming and a passion
for life. These I feel are the basic survival skills. Of course one can hire a
cook, hire a chauffeur, avoid difficult situations (read as not knowing any form
of self-defense) and one can also avoid pools and beaches and water sports and
anything enjoyable in life! Now don’t get me wrong, I know there are a lot of
other things where one can enjoy life and make it more beautiful and I am a
living example for it.
Now I would like my kid to learn the basic survival skills
(as per my definition!) whenever appropriate, without any postponement. And if
he turns out that he doesn’t want to, or has developed another set of things
for his life, I am happy to let him do it too, after all that is how I am
leading my own life now. But I am not going to give up without trying hard! And
you might ask me why, because you can try teaching anything to kids. It is much
easier than teaching anything to adults, including me. A right thing at the
right age is the key. So the one message I would like to give my
child to make this world a better place is – learn how to be
organic in life!
Apart from the skills which I spoke above, whenever I see adults in every situation, every problem, and
every simple issue in life – all that just boils down to this – life would have
been a lot simpler and happier with much more sane decisions, had things been
much clearer to them as kids.
We hear and read harassment cases, and it boils down to this
– teach your sons to not play with the respect of a girl, teach your daughters
to stand up for themselves and know that it is not their fault if someone
harasses them. Treat your sons and daughters with equal importance. Let your
son also participate in all the household chores. Let your daughter also chase
her dreams and passions and become independent. As told in a famous ad, doing
laundry is not only a woman’s job. And simultaneously having a career and
supporting the family financially is not only a man’s job. Having the right
amount of balance is the key. Don’t you think it would be lot better when all
these are taught as part of growing up? Be integral
to the family and society, give respect and take respect. Be organic!
There is so much social media around us and the time spent
in virtual life is weighing more than the time spent in real life. Sounds
crazy, right? We, as parents keep roaming and spend most of our time with our
mobiles, tablets, laptops and tv shows. Now what do you expect the kid to be
like? Behave like a saint? Of course not! While we can only limit the usage of
it, we should also beware of the fact that too much exposure of it at a tender
age can only make them couch potatoes in the long run - hampering both physical
and mental health. Expose them to a physical fitness routine, it could be swimming,
dancing, running, walking or just exercising at home. Limit social media to
things which are important and necessary.
Be organic!
Nutrition has a prime importance at my home, especially
after my kid was born. I heard many stories in the recent past about artificial
milk, hormonal imbalances in the girl child, how the pesticides content in the
food can have drastic effects on our bodies etc. I have been very cautious from
then on and try to feed my kid as organic as possible. While we try to teach
organic things (read integral and necessary) in life, then why not give them
organic food? While we spend so much on other materialistic things in life, why
not spend on organic food, at least whenever and wherever you can. And there is
more to nutrition than just eating organic. Try to use the most freshest and
natural ingredients in your diet like whole grains, raw salads, cold pressed
oils, rock salt, brown sugar etc. I know we cannot and should not have a food
chart to feed kids throughout their lives, but try to inculcate the habit of
eating right, while making sure to have indulgence occasionally. That makes
food more enjoyable. Eat original, be
organic.
It is such a sad feeling to hear about and see loads of
plastic and other waste thrown in the environment. See the plight of the river Ganges , commercialized hill stations and even the oceans!
Humans have left no place without their horrid footprints! It’s not just
spoiling the beauty of the nature but also polluting the same, whose
side-effects will eventually be faced by us in due course. No use in asking
adults to give importance to nature! Start them young; let your kids learn
garbage segregation, throwing unwanted things only in the bin and when the bin
is not available, wait till you find one instead of discarding it in any place
you like. Start using household and play items made of natural things wherever
possible and reduce the usage of plastic, carry your own bags while you go out
for shopping. Go green and be eco-friendly! Start leading an alternative structural life, be organic!
Last but not the least, kids learn by observation. And I
know how difficult it is for an adult to be as pure as a kid, almost
impossible, isn’t it? But if we would like our kids to live an organic life now
and forever after to the most possible extent, then we should talk in pure
organic and we should try to behave, at least in semi-organic!
P.S.: All the highlighted words are synonyms for the word, organic.
While being organic
is one aspect of life, there are other important and specific things in life
which will make our kids to be more responsible adults tomorrow. You must watch
this video to know more about other relevant issues. Here I am feeling glad to
be one among the other moms, who came forward to share their messages to their
kids on making this world a better place to live in. Thanks for staying with
me!
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